Divorce or Annulment, How to Determine Which Way to End a Marriage?

However, some people may desire or qualify for an annulment instead of a divorce.

Annulment, in essence, treats the marriage as if it never happened.

Religious annulments, while not law, are granted by a church and may be desired if a person is religious and may at some point wish to be remarried with the blessing and approval of their religious body.

Because the marriage was void at its start, there are none of the religious implications that may come with divorce.

A legal annulment is a civil action granted by the state court system.

To be qualified as an annulment there are a number of acceptable reasons for rendering a marriage null and void.

Parties should know that it can be difficult to qualify; annulments are not the usual method of ending a marriage relationship.

Annulments may be granted for reasons like fraud, being of an unsound mind, impotence, or even bigamy.

Annulments are typically sought when a couple has not been married for a terribly long time.

But longer-term marriages may also qualify for an annulment if the circumstances fit the legal requirements.

Understanding the terms that would qualify a marriage to go through an annulment process vs. formal divorce proceedings is best handled by experienced legal counsel.

Even for couples who are certain they qualify for an annulment, if you are in a rush to end what may feel like a bad decision, you can make costly mistakes both financially and emotionally that cannot be repaired once the annulment is granted.

With an annulment, the courts try to restore each person to their financial state before entering into the marriage.

Particularly in a longer-term marriage which may be eligible for annulment, having a lawyer to guide you in understanding your rights regarding the division of assets in a fair and equitable manner is important, particularly if you acquired assets together during the marriage.

But it is a good idea to consult a lawyer for help no matter how long or short a duration the marriage lasted.

The firm has represented many individuals in legal separation matters, divorce proceedings, and annulments in the state of Florida.

We can advise you whether or not an annulment may be a possibility for your circumstances, and can help guide you through the process as quickly and painlessly as possible.

In this electronic era, the availability of legal self-help on the internet has made the prevalence do-it-yourself divorce is a reality.

Parties may imagine themselves mutually and amicably agreeing to divorce terms, saving the need to spend money on legal representation.

However, this is almost never the reality of self-represented divorce. Most married couples going through a divorce should consider consulting with an attorney, even if the couple is heading into divorce with mutually agreed-upon terms.

There are many pitfalls either party could fall into without proper legal counsel, and it can be difficult to change the terms once the divorce decree has been finalized and issued.

Even in the simplest and most agreeable divorce actions, there are complex issues which make the advice of an experienced local lawyer helpful and valuable.

Shared assets and the fair and equitable division of those assets can be a point of contention with almost every couple.

Many times the couple has more assets than they think when they start to negotiate a divorce agreement.

They also may forget about the various debts involved and are exposed to the risk of taking on debt they may not legally be required to carry.

There are also tax ramifications that have to be considered as well. Retirement accounts, real property, and spousal support are also issues in which the couple would benefit from the advice of experienced legal counsel so that one party isn’t getting an unfair advantage or denying another what they are entitled to receive under the law.

When minor children are involved, a lawyer becomes even more necessary. It’s crucial to ensure child support, health insurance, and other matters are handled fairly and properly in accordance with state law.

Also, in circumstances where there is abuse of any kind—sexual, spousal, drug or alcohol, or when violence is feared, a lawyer is crucial in helping to negotiate necessary protections to keep all parties safe, such as temporary restraining orders and emergency action for monetary support.

FL Legal Group has significant experience representing parties in divorce proceedings in the state of Florida and will work to achieve optimal and fair results on your behalf in what can be an emotional, complex and difficult process.

Contact us or cal us today at 1-800-984-9951 for an initial free case divorce case consultation to discuss your case.